The field of the invention relates to nuclear medicine. More particularly, the invention relates to methods of producing radioactive materials of high radionuclidic and chemical purity for use in nuclear medicine.
The use of radioactive materials for nuclear medicine is known. Radioactive materials may be used for any of a number of diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. For example, in the case of diagnostic medicine, radioactive materials (i.e., a tracer) may be injected into an arm vein of a patient, and the distribution of the radioactive substance within the body or a part of the body may be portrayed in a series of images. The images may be based upon the emission of gamma rays by the tracer. As the radioactive materials within the tracer decay, the gamma rays may pass out of the body and be recorded by a scintillation camera. The scintillation camera contains a radiation detector that detects the interaction of gamma rays with the detector and where on a face of the detector the interaction has occurred. The interactions may be used to produce a picture or image of where the gamma rays originated from within the body.
Alternatively, radioactive materials of relatively short half-life (e.g., 2-72 hours) may be used for therapeutic purposes, for example, in the treatment of certain types of tumors (e.g., cancerous tumors). Typically, such materials are coupled to a biolocalization agent that concentrates at the site of the tumor. By localizing the materials at the site of the tumor, the radiation may have a maximum effect on the tumor before natural decay reduces the radiation level or blood circulation carries the material away to other parts of the body.
Often the radioactive material used for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes is tailored for the application. Where the site has a relatively high circulation rate, a material with a very short half-life may be used. Where the circulation rate is lower a material with a longer half-life may be used.
While the radioactive materials used in nuclear medicine are very effective, the preparation and handling of such materials has its own difficulties and risks. Because of the short half-lives associated with some materials, they cannot be stored for long periods. Often a material that would have the greatest benefit cannot be used because it cannot be produced in a location convenient for use. Because of the importance of nuclear medicine, a need exists for improved means of providing short half-life radioactive materials of high radionuclidic and chemical purity.
A method and apparatus are provided for automatically separating radionuclides using an chromatographic separation process. The method includes the steps of displaying a first flow diagram on a display depicting flow of the radionuclides through a first set of separation elements of the plurality of separation processing elements, but only during a first step of the chromatographic separation process and displaying a second flow diagram on the display depicting flow of the radionuclides through a second set of separation elements of the plurality of separation processing elements, but only during a second step of the chromatographic separation process.